One Piece: Who's The Clown In Netflix's Trailer & What Does He Mean For The Crew?

For better or worse, Netflix remains committed to live-action adaptations of classic animes, and the next project is "One Piece." The first trailer debuted over the weekend, showcasing Eiichiro Oda's beloved Straw Hat Pirates, including Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), Zoro (Mackenyu), and Sanji (Taz Skylar). However, "One Piece" also brings some of the anime's iconic villains to life, including a certain clown whose appearance in the trailer may have been a bit of a jumpscare.

That clown is none other than Buggy the Star Clown (Jeff Ward), captain of the Buggy Pirates. The knife-wielding pirate first appears early on in "One Piece," serving as the main villain of the Orange Town Arc, where Luffy and Zoro first meet Nami. Similar to Luffy, Buggy also wields Devil Fruit powers. While Luffy's Gum-Gum Fruit turns his body into rubber, Buggy's Chop-Chop Fruit allows him to split his body into pieces, telekinetically controlling each of them and making him immune to slashing attacks.

Buggy is one of the earliest villains the Straw Hat Crew encounter during their search for the One Piece, so it makes sense he would appear in Netflix's live-action adaptation, which depicts the formation of Luffy's pirate crew. Nami's introduction comes through Luffy and Zoro fighting the Buggy Pirates, and although it doesn't end with her officially joining the Straw Hats, Buggy still plays a large part in getting Nami onto the crew. 

Although "One Piece" introduces Buggy the Star Clown early in its story, the villain has become a recurring character throughout the anime and even an occasional ally to the Straw Hat Pirates, so his live-action counterpart could see the same fate.

Following the Orange Town Arc, Buggy swears to get his revenge on Luffy and the Straw Hats following their journey on the Grand Line. Although he hates Luffy, he works alongside the young captain from time to time whenever their goals align. Buggy also has a connection with Shanks, the pirate that inspired Luffy, with the two sharing a similar love-hate relationship as the one he and Luffy end up having. Buggy eventually gains enough power to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, an exclusive group of the most powerful pirates in the world.

Assuming that Netflix's "One Piece" is the massive success the streamer hopes it is, future seasons could adapt more of Eiichiro Oda's legendary manga, which features more character development for Buggy. It would be a massive commitment on Netflix's part, but we don't expect the live-action "One Piece" to ever reach the length of the anime, which has well over 1,000 episodes. However, multiple seasons aren't out of the question if the adaptation breaks the live-action anime curse, which would secure actor Jeff Ward a steady work schedule as Buggy returns for future "One Piece" arcs.